Foodies: Now is the time to enjoy some delicious food for a fixed price.
Magical Dining is running from Aug. 15 to Sept. 30 with more than 150 participating local restaurants, including 26 new additions.
Participating restaurants will offer three prix-fixe courses priced at $40 or $60.
For every $40 prix-fixe meal served, $1 is donated. For every $60 prix-fixe meal, $2 is donated. The primary beneficiary is the REED Charitable Foundation, which focuses on early childhood literacy and closing the literacy gap.
Visit Orlando also will award $3,000 each to Boys 2 Men Mentoring, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County, Finding the Lost Sheep, Nuevo Sendero, Samaritan Resource Center and Therapy Wish.
Since 2009, Magical Dining has raised more than $2.9 million for local causes.
RESTAURANT ROW
Sixty Vines, 7760 W. Sand Lake Road, Orlando
Sixty Vines is participating in Magical Dining for the first time.
Inspired by wine country, the restaurant offers dishes designed with intentions to pair them with wines, specifically the 60 wines it offers on tap.
“Not only is it a great opportunity for new guests to get exposure to the restaurant and experience Sixty Vines, but also, we are really proud of the charity components of Magical Dining,” Sixty Vines Manager Mark Vagelakos said.
Featuring a $40 menu that includes three courses, Vagelakos said all dishes are made with love.
“One thing we’re very proud of here is that our kitchen makes the food items from scratch, fresh, daily,” he said.
The restaurant is offering burrata, Harissa shrimp or Spanish meatballs as starters.
For entrées, a selection of braised pork pappardelle, pan-roasted chicken or wood-grilled steak are offered.
Desserts include olive oil cake, sticky toffee cake and deviled affogato.
“It’s been a great success so far,” Vagelakos said. “My favorite part of the program is just being able to extend the restaurant to new faces, get new people in here to try out Sixty Vines and as soon as they try it, they’ll fall in love and continue to come back.”
Vagelakos said he can’t predict the future but hopes to continue participating in Magical Dining.
HORIZON WEST
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, 16418 New Independence Parkway, Suite 140, Winter Garden
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine, a Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish restaurant, is offering a $40 three-course menu during Magical Dining.
The restaurant is offering falafels, boregi and hummus as appetizers.
Its main course includes kebabs, lamb shanks and sautéed shrimp.
The desserts include pistachio, dark chocolate mousse or chocolate hazelnut baklavas.
The restaurant is surrounded by warm colors and tones on the walls holding Turkish paintings, handmade Turkish glassware, fragrant aromas and fresh ingredients.
DISNEY/LAKE BUENA VISTA
Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs, 1498 E. Buena Vista Drive, Lake Buena Vista
As a second-year participant, Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs has a $40 menu for guests.
To celebrate Magical Dining’s 20th anniversary, the restaurant has created special dishes, such as a whipped burrata crostini as an appetizer, a four-cheese ravioli as an entrée and a key lime coupe for dessert.
The restaurant also is offering caramelized Brussels sprouts, potato salad deviled eggs and a house salad as starters.
The main course options include a miso glazed salmon, costa mesa salad with chicken and the Florida fish of the moment, which now is swordfish but will be changing to tripletail fish soon.
Desserts include lemon butter cake, chocolate fudge layer cake served with vanilla cream and warm chocolate chip cookies.
Executive Chef Michael Tiva said this is a win-win situation.
“(We’re) giving back to the charity and giving back to locals, giving them the opportunity to come out and kind of witness and enjoy a lot of the different cuisines and many items that we have that are available,” Tiva said.
He also mentioned the menu is a bit more affordable during Magical Dining, which is a great opportunity for those wanting to try the restaurant.
“I think one of the biggest highlights definitely is the 20th anniversary,” he said. “The pasta is a cool one-off item that you can get during this rendition of the Magical Dining, which we don’t usually traditionally have.”
CELEBRATION
Reggiano’s of Celebration, 691 Front St., Kissimmee
Reggiano’s is participating in Magical Dining for the first time this year.
Manager Kristine Lui said the owners wanted to be a part of the REED cause and decided to join.
She also said this time of the year is slower than usual for most restaurants, so participating in Magical Dining also is a way to get new clientele and exposure.
“We’re really excited to have anyone come to our restaurant that might not normally be in this area,” Lui said. “We’re ready to welcome any new guests that want to come and try us out.”
The most popular items on the restaurant’s $60 Magical Dining menu is the lasagna and the arancini al cacio e pepe. In addition, the restaurant also offers a multitude of Italian-inspired dishes, such as burrata caprese, pasta fagioli, pork chop, wood-fire salmon, as well as tiramisu, torta di pistachio and zeppole di ricotta.
LOCAL PARTICIPANTS
WINTER GARDEN
$60 OPTIONS
Chef’s Table at the Edgewater — American
Market To Table — American
RESTAURANT ROW
$40 OPTIONS
American Social Bar & Kitchen — American
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Cedar’s Restaurant — Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant — American
Dragonfly Robata Grill & Sushi — Japanese and sushi
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ — Japanese and sushi
Kabooki Sushi — Japanese and sushi
North Italia Orlando — Italian
Seasons 52 — American
Seito Sushi Sand Lake — Japanese and sushi
Sixty Vines — American
The Melting Pot — Fondue
Wine 4 Oysters Bar and Bites — Seafood
$60 OPTIONS
Big Fin Seafood — Steak and seafood
Chima Steakhouse Orlando — Steak and seafood
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar — Steak and seafood
Morton’s The Steakhouse — Steak and seafood
Norman’s — American
Ocean Prime — Steak and seafood
Ruth’s Chris Steak House — Steak and seafood
The H Orlando — Steak and seafood
HORIZON WEST
$40 OPTIONS
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine — Mediterranean, Greek and Turkish
Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ — Japanese and sushi
UNIVERSAL AREA
$40 OPTIONS
Amatista Cookhouse — Latin, South American, Caribbean and Peruvian
Mama Della’s Ristorante — Italian
The Kitchen — American
Trattoria del Porto at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando — Italian
$60 OPTIONS
The Palm Restaurant — Steak and seafood
DISNEY/LAKE BUENA VISTA
$40 OPTIONS
Amare at The Walt Disney World Swan Reserve — American
American Kitchen Bar & Grill — American
Benihana — Japanese and sushi
Il Mulino New York Trattoria — Italian
JALEO at Disney Springs — Spanish and Portuguese
Lakeside Kitchen & Bar — American
Landry’s Seafood House — Seafood
Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante — Italian
Summer House on the Lake — American
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill — American
Zeta Asia — Asian and Pacific Rim
$60 OPTIONS
Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse — Steak and seafood
Four Flamingos, A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen — American
La Luce — Italian
Ravello — Italian
Reggiano’s of Celebration — Italian
STK Orlando — Steak and seafood
The Venetian Chop House — Steak and seafood
Todd English’s Bluezoo — Seafood
Twin View Restaurant at Evermore Resort — Steak and seafood
Dining and Cooking